Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Eye Jammie Fine Arts Gallery

NYC's eyejammie- Hip-Hop Art & Photography.

Located in Chelsea, Manhattan, the eyejammie gallery is a collection of classic and iconic photos from the history of hip-hop culture. From black-and-white shots of Biggie backstage to snaps of graffiti and street art, wild parties with big speakers to quiet moments in the lives of modern poets - they document a culture with a depth that is hard to find, especially in hip-hop. Founded by renowned journalist/publicist Bill Adler, the gallery is the closest thing to a "Hip-hop Hall of Fame" out there. On their website, they have posted some of the previous exhibits, which are each worth checking out – my personal favorite is this year's exhibit of art inspired by graf writers, commissioned by SHR. Go take a look online, and when they bring another exhibit through, New Yorkers may find it worth a couple hours to stop by.

True Hip Hop is a term that describes the independent collective
consciousness of a specific group of inner-city people. Ever growing,
it is commonly expressed through such elements as: Breakin’, Emceein’,
Grafiti art, Dee Jayin’ Beatboxin’, Street Fashion, Street
Language, Street Knowledge and Street Entrepreneurialism. Hiphop is
not just music and dance, nor is Hip Hop a product to be bought and
sold. Discovered by Kool DJ Herc in the Bronx, New York around 1972,
and established as a community of peace, love, unity and having fun
by Afrika Bambaataa through the Zulu Nation in 1974, Hip Hop is an independent
and unique community, an empowering behavior, and an international culture.”
KRS-ONE, Rumminations (2003)